Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 — Section 156: Investigation into cognizable cases

156. Investigation into cognizable cases._ (1) Any officer in charge of a police-station may, without the order of a Magistrate, investigate any cognizable case which a Court having jurisdiction over the local area within the limits of such station would have power to inquire into or try under the provisions of Chapter XV relating to the place of inquiry or trial.

(2)No proceeding of a police-office in any such case shall at any stage be called in question on the ground that the case was one which such officer was not empowered under this section to investigate.

(3)Any Magistrate empowered under section 190 may order such an investigation as above-mentioned. 2 [(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1), (2) or (3), no police-officer shall investigate an offence under section 497 or section 498 of the Pakistan Penal Code, except upon a complaint made by the husband of the woman, or, in his absence, by some person who had the care of such woman on his behalf at the time when such offence was committed.] 3 [156A. Investigation of offence under section 295 C, Pakistan Penal Code. __ Notwithstanding anything contained in this Code, no police officer below the rank of a Superintendent of Police shall investigate the offence against any person alleged to have been committed by him under section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (Act XLV of 1860). Provided as follows :

(a)Where local investigation dispensed with. when any information as to the commission of any such offence is given against any person by name and the case is not of a serious nature, the officer in charge of a police-station need not proceed in person or depute a subordinate officer to make an investigation on the spot;

(b)Where police-officer in charge sees no sufficient ground for investigation. if it appears to the officer in charge of a police-station that there is no sufficient ground for entering on an investigation, he shall not investigate the case.

(2)In each of the cases mentioned in clauses (a) and (b) of the proviso to sub-section (1), the officer in charge of the police-station shall state in his said report his reasons for not fully complying with the requirements of that sub-section, 1[and, in the case mentioned in clause (b), such officer shall also forthwith notify to the informant, if any, in such manner as may be prescribed by the 2[Provincial Government], the fact that he will not investigate the case or cause it to be investigated.]